The Sixth Month
by ATTHS
Summary: Mulder and Scully go for the sixth month checkup.
1. The Checkup

**The Checkup**

Mulder sat waiting for Scully in the lobby of the hospital. Today was her six month checkup. They had an appointment at 3:00 and as he looked at his watch, again, he saw it getting closer to the time, and still no Scully.

She was still working at the hospital, but mostly desk work, reading files, and doing research. She had actually caught a few cases where something had been overlooked or a history had not been delved into further. She had been the one to take the time to look further into these cases and it helped to save some children unneeded surgeries or altered their course of care.

She told him over dinner how she had done so and seemed very nonchalant about the wonderful work she did. He had grinned and opened up a bottle of sparkling apple juice to celebrate her amazing brilliance. She had rolled her eyes as she was wont to do, but then she looked at him over the rim of her glass and her eyes thanked him. Her body thanked him later, loudly and wildly, especially for being six months pregnant. Amazing in all aspects, that was his Scully.

As if his thoughts drew her to him, she came around the corner, taking off her lab coat, and smoothing her hair down. She was growing it out again and he loved it. She looked younger and happier than she had in a long time. He loved seeing her this way.

He stood and she saw him. He tapped his watch, as he raised his eyebrows. She put her hands up and nodded her head. But then her eyes traveled down and up his body and she smiled. Okay. She was forgiven for being late.

"Doctor Scully!" A blonde haired man came running up to Scully and smiled. She turned with a surprised look, then smiled. Mulder could not hear their conversation, but he could see the smile on the man's face.

Scully patted his arm and he took her coat from her. She smiled again and walked toward Mulder. Mulder watched the man watch Scully. Too late, pal. About twenty five years too late. He grinned at her. She was his, always and forever.

She walked up to him and he leaned down to kiss her. She pulled back and then grabbed his shirt and pulled him in for a deeper kiss, her tongue running across his mouth and then his bottom lip. He straightened up, surprised at her boldness at such a public display of affection, especially at her workplace.

He felt his ego rise and beat its chest, as she stood there with her eyes closed, rubbing her lips together, before licking them and sighing.

"God, you taste like coffee," she breathed.

He laughed, his ego pouting, taking a seat in the embarrassed cheap seat section. She opened her eyes and looked at him. He looked down to where he had been sitting and she saw the two to-go coffee cups and a bag of something sitting there in a carrier.

She groaned and bent down to grab hers.

She lifted it to her nose and inhaled, closing her eyes again. God, she missed **real** coffee. Every drop was like precious gold. She had a been drinking decaf since she found out she was pregnant. In the morning, before work she would enjoy a cup with Mulder. They would sit on the porch, or lie in bed and enjoy the coffee and the company.

Since she was no longer treating patients, had no long surgeries, she was not rushed in the mornings. They had the time to just be together. After so long away from him, every moment was sacred to her. Even when he drove her crazy with his theories or a new thing he learned about pregnancy, she loved being with him. He was it for her; no if's and's or bees.

"Oh, you wonderful man," she said as she took the first sip and felt the taste hit her tongue. Giving up sushi had been easy, especially after the last time eating it had almost killed them. No alcohol, not a problem. But regular coffee, that had been tougher.

She had been grumpy with Mulder numerous times as she adjusted to only drinking decaf coffee. Every time he suggested she have at least one cup of regular coffee, she snapped at him. After he attempted to suggest it one last time, she had burst into tears.

He was genuinely shocked and did not know what to say. She sat at the table with her head in her hands and cried. When she was able to speak, she told him that she did not want to do anything that would jeopardize this pregnancy. She knew one or even two cups would not be terrible, but she did not want to risk it. Too many factors were already working against her.

He sat down next to her and pulled her into his lap. He held her tight as she held onto him and told him how scared and worried she was about this pregnancy. He told her that he knew and understood her worries. If it meant some grumpy days as she adjusted, he would understand. They sat there for awhile, holding onto each other.

Now, while she did not love drinking decaf, and a venti quad shot would soon be on her wishlist, she took what she could get. This baby had been worth a few grumpy headachy days. More than worth it.

She took a few more drinks, before picking up the bag and peeking inside. A cheese danish. She looked at Mulder and smiled. He truly was a wonderful man.

He put his arm out, waiting for her to take it before they walked out of the hospital. She took the danish and broke it in half, handing him some. He shook his head and she grinned. She took a bite, put the rest in the bag, and held it in her hand as she linked her arm with his.

He smiled and threw out their drink carrier and his coffee. He had finished his while he waited for her. They walked out the door and onto the busy sidewalk.

"Oof, it's hot," she said as she stepped into the warm afternoon sun. "You forget it's not cool and comfortable when you're inside all day."

"Ah yes, the lady of leisure, no longer standing on her feet all day, running from patient to patient, forgets how us common folk live, out in the heat every day." He said with a grand sweeping arm flourish.

She laughed as she put her head on his shoulder, then lifted it to take a sip of coffee. She shook her head back and the warm breeze blew her hair. She felt good, happy, content. Being there, walking with Mulder, on the way to a check up of their baby. Life had an interesting way of throwing curveballs sometimes.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, lost in their own thoughts. Scully drank the last of her coffee, throwing it out as they arrived at the doctors office. Mulder opened the door for her and put his hand on her back as she walked in the lobby.

They headed to the elevator and stepped inside. Scully rubbed her stomach as she leaned against the wall. Mulder looked over at her and smiled. She looked at him and smiled back. She reached for his hand and put it on her stomach.

"She's really kicking today. More so after I stop walking. I think she's trying to tell me to keep moving. That she likes the movement." She said as she helped Mulder to find the baby.

"Hmmm," he said loving the feeling of their baby rolling around inside her. "I notice you're calling the baby "she" a lot recently. You know something I don't?"

She laughed and laced their fingers together as the elevator dinged and the doors opened. "No, and I don't want to know yet. I just **feel** like it's a girl. I can't explain it. I.. I just notice differences about this pregnancy. I could be wrong but, I just think it's a girl."

They arrived at the check-in desk and Scully signed them in. She sat down and closed her eyes, feeling the cool of the room cool down her warm body. It was not a far walk to the doctor, but it still was a bit of an exertion, and she was warm.

Her stomach rumbled, reminding her she still had the danish to eat. She opened the bag, grabbed out a piece, and took a bite as Mulder sat next to her. He grabbed a random magazine with a tagline "Pregnancy and Sex: Are You Doing It Right?" It caught her eye and she looked at him, as she pointed to it. "You are. Just in case you had grabbed this for that article in particular."

He looked where she was pointing and he grinned. He chuckled and she pushed her hair behind her ear as she smiled brightly at him. They stared at each other, happy in the moment.

The nurse called her name and she quickly shoved another bite in her mouth, chewing it fast, before she handed the bag to Mulder. She pushed herself up and started to walk toward the nurse. Mulder put the magazine down with a smile and followed Scully back.

The nurse was bubbly and asked Scully many questions. Mulder tuned them out, lost in his own thoughts. The amazing, almost supernatural way they had found themselves in this situation still amazed him. That they were in an obstetrician's office at all, at their age, with the belief that she was barren, still boggled his mind.

The number of times they had been here, he had felt emotional every time. That first time before hearing the heartbeat, when he had fallen to his knees and wept, so much had been going through his mind. How, being the number one question. It had rattled around until he heard that heartbeat. That fast paced heartbeat that defied so many odds. Hearing that, seeing proof of it on the monitor, watching the cells quiver and shake had been his undoing.

He relied on believing what was intangible, what could be, the possibilities. Scully relied on facts, hard evidence, something she could point to and show as truth. There were both of their beliefs, visually on a small screen monitor, while auditorily it floated in as if from the heavens. The two halves making a whole as they always did. They had found a way, again.

Scully was stepping off the scale as he cleared his thoughts. The nurse wrote down the information and led them to a room. She took Scully's vitals, blood pressure, heartbeat, a blood sample, and then handed her a urine sample cup. She reminded her where the bathroom was, said the doctor would be right with them, and walked out the door, with Scully following.

Alone in the room, Mulder looked at all the pictures on the wall. The way a baby develops, the changes it goes through in utero, it truly was amazing. Almost alien like, he thought with a smile, as he imagined how Scully would appreciate that joke for the hundredth time. He chuckled and looked at the poster that showed the sixth month stage specifically.

She weighed about two pounds, maybe twelve inches long. She. He smiled. Scully had gotten in his head. Boy, girl, he does not care. Healthy, whole, theirs. That was all that mattered to him. He started to turn away when something caught his eye. Fingerprints. The baby had visible fingerprints now. Jesus.. he blinked back tears.

The door opened and Scully came in and sat on the table. He wiped at his eyes, not wanting her to see he was a blubbering mess again.

"You okay Mulder?" She asked, seeing he was wiping his eyes.

He turned and walked over to her. He embraced her and held her as she reached up and held him. He closed his eyes, thinking of how two years ago, the thought of this happening would have been like a cruel joke. He was so thankful that she was with him. She was enough. So much more than enough. This baby.. this baby was icing on an already incredibly sweet cake.

He pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. How could he tell her? He needed to find something more than simple words. Something big, momentous. But for now, words were all he had. He held her face, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs.

"I love you, Scully," he whispered. "God, it never seems like enough when I say it, that it needs more. "I love you" is so small compared to the vastness of what I feel for you. The enormity of my feelings. I just…"

"Mulder," she whispered back. "loving someone is never a "small" thing. There is no size when it comes to love. Tell me, tell me everyday. Shout it if you feel it needs more power. I'll get some earplugs so you don't cause me to go deaf."

He hummed and then chuckled. He straightened up and moved his hands up. His fingers in her hair, his thumbs on her temples. Memories of standing in a hospital hallway, her in a robe that was too big for her small frame, his feeling of hopelessness but so happy that she was going to fight, to stay with him as long as she could, bubbled near the surface. He felt tears in his eyes again. He blinked them away, shook his head, kissed her forehead and then her lips. A soft, sweet kiss, full of the love he felt for her.

"Is there something in this office that makes the estrogen in your body ramp up? You are emotional every time we come here." She said, smiling at him as she stroked his face.

He laughed again and sniffed. "I don't know what it is, Scully. But, don't worry. I have plans to go cut a tree down on the way home, with my bare hands. So, I should be back to full manliness by the time you get home."

She laughed and pulled him in for another kiss. Then wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her to him. She breathed and closed her eyes. He stepped back and she grabbed his hands. "I love you too, you know. Big, small, every way in between."

He nodded and looked at her. At the wonderful, beautiful, amazing woman before him. He thanked the powers that be for sending her to him. Every day, he was thankful for the woman who was sent to spy on him and instead, became the one person he needed. The one person he would love without question, forever. God, they **must** pump something in this office, he thought as he felt his emotions surface again.

There was a knock on the door and he breathed a sigh of relief as she giggled. The door opened and Mulder stepped back to the head of the table.

"Good afternoon Dana, Fox. It's good to see you two again." Doctor Reynolds said as she walked in and shook both of their hands. She walked to the sink and washed her hands before turning to them with a smile.

Mulder liked her, a lot. She was funny, kind, and most importantly, she laughed at his jokes. She and Scully got along really well, but Mulder felt a kinship to her. She was younger than them, maybe about mid-thirties. She was married and had one little girl that had woven herself around Mulder's fingers.

They had been out at a farmers market about two months ago, picking up some organic fruits and vegetables, and had run into the doctor. They had exchanged pleasantries and then she introduced them to her husband and three year old daughter. She was so adorable, Mulder fell instantly in love with her. She looked up at him with big blue eyes, assessing him, her fingers in her mouth, from behind her dad's legs.

She must have sensed something in him, because she launched herself at him and would not let him put her down the whole time they were there. She babbled about anything and everything. Mulder felt his heart beating happily, with the knowledge that he would eventually have a child this age to babble and play with every day.

Mulder grinned at the doctor and she smiled back. "How is Raina?" He asked, hoping she had something for him.

She grinned wider and reached in her coat pocket. She took out a picture that Raina had drawn for "Mr. Fox" and handed it to Mulder. He beamed and took it from her.

She had drawn a round circle with arms, legs, eyes, and a smile. "It's a potato person. She wanted me to be sure you knew that was what she drew." Mulder nodded and showed it to Scully, as he smiled at the doctor. He put it in his pocket and took out something from his other one.

He had been looking through his office and he came across a couple postcards he had bought years ago. He smiled at the memory of sitting on a rock and having an in depth conversation with Scully while they feared they would be eaten by a lake monster. He set aside one of the postcards with a picture of Big Blue to give to Raina.

He handed it to the doctor and she smiled. He had drawn a stick figure picture of her and him on the back at the farmers market. The doctor grinned and slipped it in her pocket.

Scully grinned at the interaction between them. She knew Mulder really liked this doctor. They seemed to have a special bond. And boy, did her daughter ever love him. It was the cutest thing she had ever seen, the way she had been so taken with Mulder. She had told him how it made her feel knowing what an amazing dad he was going to be, when they went to bed that night. That discussion had led to amazing sex as he told her how happy he was to have this chance again.

"Okay!" Doctor Reynolds said, clapping her hands together. "Let's get started. First off, how are you? Experiencing any nausea? Any mood swings? Sleeping okay? Any pain or contractions at all?" She walked to the computer and signed in, ready to take notes.

"Well, I am not really feeling nausea anymore. Certain smells still bother me like meat cooking sometimes. My mood seems fine," she said with a glance toward Mulder. He nodded his confirmation. "Sleeping well, but sometimes uncomfortable until I find the right position. Luckily, I have a great in house masseuse, so that works out well for me. No pain, no contractions."

"Good, good. Is the baby moving a lot? Kicking and basically playing havoc on your insides?" She asked with a smile.

"God, yes," Scully responded. "She was kicking a lot when we arrived. I must have woken her up on the walk over here. She was moving around a lot."

"She?" Doctor Reynolds said with surprise as she looked up at her. "Did you find out the sex and I didn't know?"

"No," Scully said, shaking her head. "We still don't want to know. I just, I feel like it's a girl. But I could be wrong, just a feeling. I don't like saying "it" and so, I'm going with "she" right now."

"I understand. How about food? Eating well, taking vitamins, drinking enough water?" She asked as she typed the information in the computer.

"Vitamins, yes. Drinking lots of water. Peeing all the time. Eating well." She said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Does eating well consist of massive amounts of grilled cheese sandwiches, in your medical opinion?" Mulder asked, looking at Doctor Reynolds.

Scully turned to him and stared at him. He ignored her and kept his eyes on the doctor. She smiled at him, enjoying the screaming eyes Scully was sending him. She had sent the same eyes many times to her own husband. She knew that look.

"Well. Cheese is good, as long as it's not unpasteurized. Calcium is good for development, so I don't see a problem with it." She said, nodding at him.

Scully shook her head as she turned her head back toward the doctor.

"I'm talking massive amounts, like middle of the night, eating two or three of them. That's okay?" He asked with his hands up, as if insinuating she ate huge sandwiches.

"Mulder!" She said, whipping her head back to him and shaking her head.

The doctor looked down at her keyboard and smiled. She licked her lips and looked up at Mulder. "It's fine," she said quietly. He nodded, satisfied with her answer.

"What about green olives, right out of the jar?"

"Mulder! Do you want to wait outside?" She asked, her eyes like laser beams on him.

He huffed and whispered that he did not. When she turned her head again and shook it upon meeting the doctors face, Mulder mouthed and pantomimed "Right out of the jar." She covered her mouth so Scully did not see her smile, but not fast enough. Scully hung her head and sighed.

"How about we get the exam part out of the way?" Doctor Reynolds asked, coming over to Scully with her measuring strip.

Scully stood up and the doctor placed it around her belly. Mulder looked over Scully's shoulder as she did. He placed a kiss on the side of her neck and she sighed. Apology and forgiveness in less than a second.

"You're doing well, gaining as you should. Let's get you back on the table and listen to the heartbeat." She rolled the machine closer to them as Scully sat and scooted back on the table. She lifted her shirt and pulled her pants down a bit. These were almost too tight. She would need some new ones soon.

She grabbed Mulder's hand and brought it to her chest, as the doctor put the wand against her stomach. She closed her eyes and waited. Mulder took a deep breath and squeezed her hand, closing his own eyes. They waited. Connected by their hands and the being growing inside her.

 _Whoosh whoosh whoosh_. Mulder's breath came out in half laugh/half sob. He opened his eyes and found Scully staring at him. She had tears in her eyes and knew they mirrored his own.

Doctor Reynolds watched them and felt tears in her own eyes. She loved watching parents hear the heartbeat. Loved seeing their joy when that fast heartbeat came fluttering out for all to hear. But these two, they were so happy every time. It took her breath away and affected her more times than she would ever have imagined.

She pressed a button and the heartbeat was printed out on a piece of paper. She handed it to Mulder as they stood there together. He took it and stared at it. More hard evidence of the miracle they created. No, the second one they created.

Scully adjusted her clothes, wiped her eyes and sat up. The doctor rolled the machine back and made some notes. Mulder showed Scully the heartbeat and she grinned.

"Okay, everything looks great. You're progressing perfectly, right on track. Oh, last question- have you had any spotting or irritation?" She asked as she sat on the stool and slid over in front of Scully.

Scully glanced at Mulder and then at the doctor. The doctor raised her eyebrows, understanding that she did not want to worry him, but she needed to be thorough. Mulder looked at them.

"Scully?" He asked, staring at her.

"It was just once and it was no big deal. Barely anything," she said, looking at him. "I promise Mulder if it had been worse, I would have told you."

"When did it happen?" He needed to know, to know everything.

"It was a couple days ago. The morning after I told you about the cases I had been working on recently. Remember?" She looked at him, hoping he would understand she was implying it was after a particularly wild night of lovemaking. When she had taken charge and demanded from him. God, she felt her body respond instantly to that memory. It had been so good.

He stared at her, not understanding. The doctor did however, and she smiled. "The morning after you had sex?" She asked quietly.

Scully blushed and nodded. Mulder's eyes got wide as he realized what she meant now. Oh. He looked in her eyes and he saw her that night. Wild, hair falling back as she took control and rode him. She set the pace and it had been fantastic. She was like a goddess.

She saw the moment he remembered and she smiled. It had been fun. God, she was getting aroused now sitting there. Thinking about doing that again later, or a different position she wanted to try, made her flush.

"Should we not be having sex, if it caused spotting? I don't want anything to happen or cause you pain, Scully. That's the last thing I want to do. If it means waiting.."

"NO!" Scully cut across him. "No, Mulder. It was just.. a little more than what I should have done. I just need to more careful."

"Still, if it means, it could cause a problem.."

"Mulder," she interrupted again. "Do you remember Lamaze class?"

He frowned and then he nodded. Yes, he remembered that strange class. When he had to hold Scully and help her breathe. It was almost erotic and he had been very turned on when he definitely should not have been.

"Do you remember **after** Lamaze class?" She asked with a pointed look.

Oh.. he remembered. She had put her hand on his thigh and then on his crotch when they got in the car. She looked at him with lust in her eyes. They barely made it back to her apartment without pulling over somewhere. The fact that she was pregnant was the only reason. Straddling him in the car was harder with a baby bump in the way.

They had spent the rest of the day in her bed and she was wild and wanton. Taking from him, while he gladly gave everything he could. Yeah, he remembered Lamaze class.

He met her look, realization dawning. "That shit is going to happen again? Your insatiable need for sex?" He asked, no filter, a bit too loudly.

Scully blushed and her mouth dropped open. Doctor Reynolds burst out laughing. Mulder looked from one to the other.

"Well, fucking A.." he said with a grin and the doctor laughed harder. Scully put her head in her hands and sighed.

Doctor Reynolds managed to stop laughing and tapped Scully's knee. Scully looked up at her, embarrassment written all over her face. "Dana, I understand, believe me I do. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. It's.. it's like nothing I've ever experienced before."

"Right?!" Scully sighed and felt instantly better. Here was a fellow comrade in the trenches. Someone who had experienced the thirst of unquenchable sex. They looked at each other and grinned.

"Well," the doctor said, standing up. "Like I said, everything looks great. Just, take the lovemaking easy. As easy as you can," she said with a look to Scully, knowing it was not always easy to do. "Other than that, you are free to go and I'll see you both next month."

She turned to Mulder. "I will be sure to give your card to Raina. And I will tell her you were pleased with her potato person." She smiled as she shook his hand again.

He clasped hers with both of his, smiling in her eyes. "Tell her I hope to see her soon. And thank her for my **fantastic** potato person."

She smiled and walked over to Scully, shaking her hand as well, giving her an extra squeeze. A squeeze of solidarity and understanding. Then she said goodbye and walked out the door.

A beat. A second, and Scully knew it was coming. She could feel it in her bones. Two, three..

"So, insatiable sex, huh?" He asked coming to stand beside her and help her off the table.

She smiled and ran her hand down his chest. "Think you can handle it, old man?"

Her eyes sparkled and he caught her hand. He brought it to his lips and kissed it. "As long as we can do the naked pretzel again, I can handle anything. I'm Fox freaking Mulder."

She threw her head back and laughed. She met his eyes again, smiling. "We will **definitely** be doing the naked pretzel again."

"Then lead the way. I am here for all your needs, no matter how depraved they may be."

She laughed again and he opened the door, ushering her out. He grabbed her hand and smiled at her. They both burst out laughing and headed for the elevator. Thoughts of the naked pretzel dancing in their heads.


	2. A Houseful of Memories

**A Houseful of Memories**

Walking out of the elevator, they were both still smiling. Mulder gripped her hand in his and headed back outside. Back to the afternoon heat, although it felt a bit cooler. He felt so happy. So at ease. The baby was fine, Scully was fine and apparently he had some insatiable sex to look forward to again.

God, when she was pregnant last time, she had been an absolute animal when it came to sex. Their sex life had been amazing right up until he had been abducted and then presumed dead. That put a damper on the old libido, he thought with a smile.

But when he came back, after being dead for months, he had felt out of place. Like he did not belong. He was even unsure of the paternity of the baby and not sure how to broach the subject. The IVF had failed, how was she pregnant?

Until she had sat him down, told him he was being a fucking asshole, that she knew he had been through a lot, but so had she, and he needed to knock it the fuck off, did he understand how angry she had been. Angry and so scared. They had not been **them** and finally she had reached her breaking point. They had talked, really talked. About the baby, about everything.

After that, they had started getting back on track. Things were good. They had gone back to touching, kissing, but not until the Lamaze class, did they get back to the sexual aspect of their relationship. Boy, did they ever. And now he had that to look forward to again? He was older, but he was most definitely up to the challenge.

He looked at her, at her radiant smile, the afternoon sun shining behind her, lighting her up. She smiled as she caught his eye. She squeezed his hand, and held his arm with her other hand. The wind blew and she closed her eyes. Happy. She was so happy.

"So, how about we head home, make something delicious for dinner, and see where the night takes us?" Mulder said as they got closer to the hospital.

She smiled. That sounded great, but she was about to throw a wrench in those plans. A big one.

"Mulder, I have to get back to the hospital for a little bit. There are some things I need to check on before I leave for the weekend. Just a few things. I should be home about seven, eight at the latest," she said, giving him an apologetic look.

"Oh. Well, that's okay. I can head home and pick something up on the way. Do you want me to get something to make or pick something up?" He asked as held her hands in his.

"Well, it's almost 4:00 now, and I have a favor to ask of you. Kind of a big one. You can say no, but I would really appreciate it if you did it." She said, with a hopeful look.

"I'm all ears, Scully. At your beck and call. You can bend me to your will. I am your willing servant." He grins cheekily at her.

"You good?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

He smiled and bowed his head.

"Okay. So, I stopped by my mom's house yesterday."

He squeezed her hands, knowing that she stopped by there sometimes. Mrs. Scully had left the house to Scully when she died. They were still going through the stuff at her house. Pictures, boxes of memories, old outdated clothes, furniture. All of it held meaning to Scully.

"I was walking around, looking at things. Maybe some things I'd like to move to our house. Some photos, maybe some things that could go in the babies room, I don't know. But, I found some boxes with my name on them. I don't know what's in them and I didn't want to lift them. But, Mulder, I'd like to have them and see what is inside." She smiled a sad smile and he touched her cheek.

"You want me to stop over and get them for you? That's not a problem at all Scully. Whatever you need."

"Thanks. I really appreciate it. I think there are like five, maybe six at most. I'm pretty sure they will all fit in your car."

"Well, if they don't I can make another trip. If it makes you happy Scully, then I'm happy to do it." He cupped her face and kissed her, then pulled her in for a hug.

"Oh, I need to get you the key," she said as she pulled back, her eyes a little wet.

"No need, I have one," he said showing it to her on his key ring.

"When did you get a key?" She asked surprised that he had one. Usually if he went, he was with her and she used hers.

"Your mom gave me one years ago," he said. "Didn't you know that she did? I guess it was in case she needed something or.. if I did. To talk or just visit." He looked sad and she pulled him to her.

They held each other, both with their own memories of her, but both mourning a mother. One from birth, the other from respect and then love.

She pulled back and kissed his cheek. She let go of him and walked back to the hospital. She turned and looked at him just before she walked inside and smiled.

A while later, he pulled up to 's house. He sat in the car, at the curb, and stared at it. He had not been completely honest with Scully. Coming here was not really something he liked to do, especially by himself. It made him sad. Made him feel sadness in a different way than being in his own parents homes.

He had had to deal with his parents estates when they passed. A lot of the items he donated, some he put in storage, but anytime he was there, he could not wait to leave. Too many unhappy ghosts running around in the house to make him feel any ease.

Scully had come with him a couple times years ago. Helped him sort through which things he would keep. Most of the time he had just shrugged his shoulders and she made a guess. He did not have memories tied to items like Scully did. His memories were dark and mostly sad, not exactly something that would look nice hanging on a wall.

But being here, at Mrs. Scully's, he had felt the love he had missed out on as a child. Felt accepted and his presence was welcomed. He stared at the house and told himself to stop being such a pussy. He got out of the car and walked to the front door.

The air inside the house was stale and warm. He hated it. It felt wrong. Mrs. Scully's house always smelled inviting, welcoming. A floral smell that was never too heavy. He stood in the foyer, looking into the sitting room.

He had paced that room when Scully had been missing. He had shown up at odd hours, unable to sleep, to concentrate on anything but finding her. Mrs. Scully always let him in, no matter the time. She sat in her chair and listened to him rant, watched him pace. She did not try to offer him comfort, not at first. He needed to let it out and she knew he needed it.

He would eventually tire out and fall to the floor, crying, apologizing to her. She never yelled, never got angry with him. She would come to him and hold him as he cried. She would murmur her comfort then. Offer her strength to him, but he never accepted it. This was his punishment and he deserved it. If his past taught him anything, it was how to take on the pain and suffering. How to accept the punishment.

He stepped further into the room and stood exactly where he had when Scully was suffering from mind control. When she thought he was the enemy. Mrs. Scully had stood by his side and then in front of him. Protecting him, as well as Scully. If Scully had shot him, Mulder knew she would have never forgiven herself. Her mother knew that, too. She knew that offering herself in Mulder's place would be enough to give Scully pause. To make her give up, to see reason.

He felt tears in his eyes as he remembered the image of Mrs. Scully walking to Scully and holding her as she crumbled. That image is burned in his mind forever. The power of a mother's love.

He kept walking in further. The dining room table where they had had so many meals. Where they played Scrabble. Mrs. Scully laughing as he and Scully got into an argument over acceptable words. She would drink a glass of wine and watch them bicker until one of them would cave and move on.

The kitchen where Mrs. Scully made the most delicious food. Always had enough to feed an army, making sure Mulder had as much as he wanted, and sending them home with leftovers, every time. That food had been his sustenance when Scully was at the hospital, working long shifts. He would come out of his office, starving from missing meals as he pored over articles. Finding plasticware full of delicious food had kept him going. His heart ached as he realized, he never properly thanked her for that.

He walked back toward the front door and up the stairs. The upstairs bathroom held a special memory. He had come up there to escape Bill one year. Bill had been poking at him all night. Jabs about his job at the FBI, or his past one, seeing as he did not have a job anymore. How was Mulder going to provide for his sister? What was his plan?

Scully had jumped in and told Bill to shut his fucking mouth. That she was a doctor and she did not need anyone to "take care of her." That she had not needed that for years. Bill had yelled back that she was wasting her life with a fucking loser like Mulder. And then Scully had slapped him. Hard.

Mulder had quietly slipped away, catching Mrs. Scully's eye. Not because he was scared or weak, but because he did not want to cause a problem in her home. He wanted to punch Bill in the face and he knew coming upstairs was a better choice. He was pacing in the bathroom when someone knocked three times. Scully.

He opened the door and she shoved her way in. Her eyes were blazing and she was angrier than he had ever seen her. She paced and then grabbed him and pulled his face to hers. She kissed him roughly. Teeth and tongues clashing. She pushed him back and hopped up on the counter. She pulled him to her and locked her legs around him. She looped her arms around his neck and pulled him back to her. He had rounded second and was going for third, when someone else knocked on the door.

Mrs. Scully's voice came through the door telling them it was time for dessert. Mulder waggled his eyebrows at Scully and she grinned. She called to her mother they would be down in a minute. Mulder helped her down. As she stepped past him, she brushed her fingers over his crotch, making him jump. She whispered she would take care of that later and began to readjust her clothes. Getting her breasts back in her bra, tucking in her shirt, smoothing down her hair.

They walked downstairs and to Mulder's surprise, Bill was still there. His cheek was very red which Mulder found highly amusing. He sat at the table and Mrs. Scully brought him a piece of cobbler. He noticed it was a bit larger than Bill's and he looked up at her. She glanced at him and then rubbed his back.

His fondness for her grew in that moment. She was telling him once again, that he was welcome, he did belong there, and she knew how much he cared for Scully. That he was enough.

He felt his breathing pick up, almost like a panic attack when he heard his phone beep. He jumped and cursed. The past meeting the present, as he saw a text from Scully:

"I realized I didn't tell you which room the boxes are in. The first bedroom to the right, top of the stairs. They are in the closet. Thank you again for doing this for me. I know you don't like going over there much, especially on your own. Too many ghosts huh? But I appreciate it. Thank you Mulder."

He smiled as he read her message. So she knew. He did not have to tell her, she just knew. Of course she did, it should not surprise him. His phone beeped again. Scully again:

"Big, small, and every way in between, Mulder."

He grinned and sent one back to her:

"Bring home some earplugs."

He put his phone away and closed the bathroom door. He went into the first bedroom and saw the boxes in the closet. Scully was right. There were five of them. She had failed to mention one thing though. Not only did they have her name on them, but his as well. "Dana and Fox" in Mrs. Scully's handwriting.

These must be from when they were first hiding out, laying low, fugitives from the law. He never really thought about what happened back home. His main thought was for Scully's safety, then his own. He did not think that people were back home, taking care of things. Packing and making sure their combined homes were seen to. Obviously, Mrs. Scully was there, making sure these boxes were safe. Keeping them all these years, never asking for the closet space back.

He touched the boxes where her handwriting was, their names boldly written across it. Too much. It was too much. He dropped to his knees on the floor, his head against the boxes and he wept. Deep wracking sobs.

Two and a half years had passed since she died and it hit him like a ton of bricks in that moment. She was gone. The mother he never deserved but who never gave up on him. Always accepted him. Always loved him. The woman who went out of her way to get him wonderful birthday and Christmas gifts. The woman who trusted him to hold her daughter's heart and did not hate him when he broke it.

He wept knowing that she would never know they had found William. That they had stood in a gas station and watched Scully on a surveillance tape, having a conversation with him, but unaware it was him. That Mulder had tracked him down, held him.. and then they saved him. Together they worked to bring their boy to them. He could no longer think. It was too much. He just let the tears fall.

He had no idea how long he knelt there, but he felt drained and at peace simultaneously. He staggered off his knees and looked at the boxes again. He put his hand on the top one and whispered, "thank you" before taking the first box down the stairs. Up and down he went until they were all in the foyer.

Then back and forth he went until they were all in the car. He came back and stood in the foyer again. He closed his eyes and he could hear Scully's laugh ring out at some crazy thing he had said. Mrs. Scully's laugh answered hers. He could smell the floral smell of the house, the wine they drank, the food they ate.

He opened his eyes and the air was still again, heavy. He took a deep breath and turned to leave. He looked back and once again pictured her standing there, between him and Scully. Their protector. The mother he never expected, but the one he had always needed.

"Thank you.. mom," he said quietly. His words hanging thickly in the heavy air.

He walked out the door and locked it behind him. He got in the car, buckled in, and looked to make sure there was no traffic coming.

He looked in the rear view mirror and for a second he could swear he saw her standing there on the porch, waving goodbye like she had done hundreds of times. When he turned his head, the porch was empty. He checked his mirror again and it was still empty. But he knew what he saw. He saw her smiling at him and waving. Her eyes shining with happiness.

He smiled, but felt a lump in his throat. He looked at the boxes and realized something. He was not just bringing "things" home with him. It was love. The love they had shared in her apartment. The love Mrs. Scully had put into keeping these items safe. The love Scully had for not wanting to part with this house just yet. Needing to keep her mom close to her still. His love, for coming over and facing his feelings even if he did not like it. His love for Scully would make him walk through fire. Whatever was in these boxes, already held a special place in his heart.

One last glance in the rear view mirror and he took off. His heart felt light and happy. He rolled the windows down and let the breeze blow through the car. He turned left and headed for home, bringing love to his love.


	3. Journey Continuation

**Journey Continuation**

Mulder stopped and picked up Chinese food on the way home. After the time he spent at Mrs. Scully's, he wanted to have dinner ready for Scully when she arrived, and he would not be able to cook something in time.

He brought the food in and set it in the refrigerator. He opened the windows and felt the afternoon wind blow through the house. He changed out of his jeans and boots, hanging his jeans on a chair in their bedroom. He put on some basketball shorts and sneakers. He took off his button up short-sleeved shirt, leaving just the T-shirt beneath. He stood in the doorway in his cooler clothes, letting the wind breeze past him.

He went in the kitchen and grabbed a beer out of the fridge. He sat on the porch, thinking about the day. It had been a draining one to say the least. God, he was becoming more emotional as he aged. Soon he would be the old man in the wheelchair crying, as Scully pushed him with her wheelchair, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. He laughed softly at the thought.

He took a long drink of his beer and closed his eyes. He would finish this one, then start bringing the boxes inside. Just this one…

He woke to the sound of a car door slamming. It was getting darker, but still light enough to see her getting her things out of the backseat, then shutting the door. He still had his beer in his hand, but it had spilled onto the porch. Thankfully he did not drop the bottle. He would have to hose off the porch later or the ants and bees would be having a heyday. Fucking bees. Those bastards were not welcome at this house, he did not care if their population was dwindling.

He heard her footfall on the stairs and he looked up at her. She had a knowing smile on her face as she set her bag down. She leaned against the railing and clasped her hands together on top of her belly.

"Did you fall asleep on the porch again?" She asked with amusement in her voice.

"I seem to have done so, yeah," he said, his voice rough with sleep. "I spilled my beer a little, but didn't drop the bottle."

"And you call me the "lady of leisure"? Oh, my dear madam," she said with dancing eyes.

He looked at her in mock shock, bringing his hand to his chest. She laughed.

"You better be sure you hose that spilled beer down later. There will be ants having a great time in all that sweetness. Or bees, Mulder." She raised her eyebrows and shook her head.

"Fucking bees," they both said at the same time and then grinned.

He stood up and walked over to her. She smiled as he set his beer on the railing, then stood in front of her, his hands on her hips. She put her hands on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. She looked in his eyes. They looked a little puffy.

"Oh Mulder," she said bringing her hands to his face. "Was going to my mom's too much? I should have waited until I could go with you, I know you don't really like being there. I figured grabbing the boxes would be fast. Were you.. was it too much?"

He took her hands from his face and kissed her palms. "It was okay, Scully. It was good, in fact. Yes, I had a cry, but that's nothing new for me while at your mom's place. I started that tradition a long time ago," he smiled as he brushed her hair back from her face, with both hands, as the wind blew. "It just.. it hit me seeing those boxes. It's us, Scully. Those boxes are **us**. Our life. Before things went to shit. Your mom kept them for **us**. "Dana and Fox." Our lives, frozen in time, inside of five cardboard boxes. A gift from your mother I never would have expected but appreciate so very much."

She had tears on her face as she held onto his forearms, as he held her face. She missed her mom so much. Wanted nothing more than to find her in her house when she randomly stopped by on her way home from work. To hear her laughing at some outrageous joke Mulder had told. To eat the cake her mother had made for her every year on her birthday. The Chocolate Chocolate cake that required a full glass of milk readily available when eaten. So many little things would creep in and cause her to emotionally stumble when she had felt just fine a second beforehand.

She leaned forward and put her head on his chest. He pulled her in and she wrapped her arms around his waist. He rubbed her back as the breeze blew again. He pulled back from her and held her shoulders.

"How about this? You go change into something cooler, I'll get the food ready, and after we're done, we'll see what's inside those boxes. I picked up some Chinese food on the way home. It's ready and waiting in the fridge. You want it cold or warmed up?"

She sniffed. "Cold sounds good. It's hot out and God knows we've eaten enough cold Chinese food in our day. Thank you. I think I'll take a quick shower, then head back down. So take your time with the food." She kissed him and walked past him into the house, grabbing her bag on the way.

He watched her go. He smiled, so happy they had made it back to this place.

He walked off the porch and grabbed the hose from the hook. He turned the water on and walked back onto the porch. He sprayed down the beer. No ants or bees will find that now. The fuckers.

He put the hose back and shut off the water. He walked onto the porch and grabbed what was left of his bottle of beer. He walked into the house and started getting out the food and setting it all on the table. He put out plates, glasses, forks, and chopsticks. He took out a pitcher of cold water, sliced a lemon, added the slices to the water, then placed it on the table.

He heard the creak of the floorboards as Scully walked around upstairs. He stopped his preparations, stood at the sink, and listened. That sound brought back so many memories. Of her coming home from the hospital in the past and going upstairs to do exactly what she was now, while he got their meal ready. Their old life that he took for granted. He shook his head. Never again.

Never again would he want to go back to the quiet of his life without her in it. The time when he could hear his own thoughts without interruption. Those thoughts were sad, lonely, and not worth revisiting-ever. He would do whatever it took to never again be alone with his thoughts the way he had been. Alone in a house that was meant for two. Alone in a bed that felt cold and huge without her warm soft body to hold onto. No. Never again.

He heard her on the stairs and turned around as she walked into the living room. She had put on her pajamas. Actually, it was one of his shirts. She had taken to wearing them as her stomach had expanded. He loved seeing her in his clothes. The first time she ever did, as partners who now saw each other naked, was years ago in a hotel room in California. The day before that fucking movie premiere.

He had come back from getting ice from the machine down the hall for the drinks they were going to share. She was sitting on the bed in his Knicks T-shirt, looking innocent as could be. He had stopped, bucket in hand, and stared at her. She smiled at him and stretched, drawing his attention to her chest, as if he was not already staring right at it. He set the bucket down and the drinks were forgotten, the ice a bucket of water in the morning.

This was not his Knicks shirt, that one had seen its day long ago. But this one, the one she wore when he spouted his monster theories in yet another hotel room, had been a favorite of hers from before. That she kept it and then wore it on that case, was a sign to him. She still wanted him close to her, they just needed to get back to **them**.

The shirt was tighter now and he smiled when he could see her belly button through it. It was not like a nightgown anymore so she was wearing those soft little shorts that he loved. They felt good when he stroked her legs and against his skin when he held her.

Her hair was still damp and her face was free of makeup. She was so beautiful. She looked like she did on their first case. Young and fresh faced. His heart sped up as she got closer. Yeah, she still had some scoot in her boot.

"Mmm, Mulder. This all looks great. Thank you for picking this up. I'm starving." She sat down and grabbed a box of food.

Mulder stood there, staring at her. She looked up at him, still standing there and she frowned. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"Nothing," he said, grabbing a chair and sitting down.

She watched him for a second and then resumed filing her plate. They ate in relative silence, each enjoying the food. Mulder poured them both some water and she smiled her appreciation of the lemon slices. Eating the dinner cold was a good idea. The wind blowing through the house was still a little warm.

After they had eaten their fill, Mulder cleared the table, and Scully boxed up the leftovers. He washed up and she dried. When everything had been cleaned, Scully went to use the bathroom and he went out to the car and started bringing in the boxes. He had them stacked three high, about to go for the fourth, when she walked in the room.

She walked up to the boxes and ran her hand across their names, the same as he had. When she looked at him, she had tears in her eyes. She shook her head, and took a big breath. He came up to her and kissed her temple before heading back outside.

Once all the boxes were in, they stood on either side of the first box, ready to dive into the memories of their past. Both nervous but excited about what they would discover.

For an hour they laughed and cried over the things they found. Pictures and knick knacks Scully had had in her apartment. Mulder found his Buddha head he had kept by his fish tank. He immediately set it out on the desk. Scully found a photo of her and her mom she had forgotten about and she cried as she lovingly touched her mother's face.

There were papers Scully had had in drawers, books from both of their apartments, Mulder's family photo album he had been looking at when Scully came to tell him she was being transferred. He sat down on the couch to look at it. Scully opened the next box after a glance at Mulder.

"Oh my god, Mulder do you remember this?" She asked with laughter in her voice.

"Hmm?" He asked absentmindedly as he looked at his photo album. He glanced up quickly and then stared at the object she held. He put his album down haphazardly and walked over to her.

"You still have this? Your mom saved it?" He took the panda from her and immediately remembered the night he had picked it out at the arcade.

He had seen it and wanted to get her something cute and "relationshipy." He had already been so in love with her. He would have declared his love for her every day after she made the first step that first night, if he knew it would not have sent her running. And he was not such a fucking coward.

To see this panda after so many years, he felt rejuvenated. This was a prize handed to him as it was that night. Now, oh it meant so much more. The symbolism of what he could still feel inside was not lost on him.

"I can't believe she packed this up. I don't even know where it was at the apartment. Aww. It will be perfect for the baby, don't you think? Her first stuffed animal?" She took the panda back and looked at it. "It really is cute. You made a good decision, Mulder."

He took the panda back and nodded. He rolled his fingers around and felt the place where the items were. His heart swelled and he felt tears in his eyes, again. God, what the fuck was going on with him today?

Scully took the panda back again while he was distracted and she laughed. "It will be perfect Mulder. We just need to wash it first." She stepped back and set it on the kitchen table with some of the other items they had spread out on top of it.

"Wash it? No Scully, you can't wash it." He said as he side stepped her and grabbed it again.

"Mulder, it's been in a box for eighteen years, in a closet or something before that, and a dirty arcade before **that** , it needs to be washed," she attempted to take it from her but he stepped around her. "Mulder. What are you doing?"

He walked to a drawer and found what he was looking for, one of his sharp pocket knives. He sat down on the opposite side of her and slit open the back of the panda with the knife.

"What are you **doing**?!" She shouted as she stood, shocked at his actions. "I said I wanted it for the baby! Why would you cut it open like that, Mulder? I don't understand.. what is that?"

He had reached inside until he found the tissue covered items he had slipped inside so long ago. He held it in his hand and smiled at the memory of that day. The way his heart had pounded, hurrying to finish before she came knocking. The cheesy comments he knew she would offer up if she knew what he had done. The fact that he did not care if she thought it was cheesy. He loved her and when he had the stones to finally tell her, he would.

He chucked. The stones to tell her. Well, no time like the present.

"The night in California when we walked on the beach, you told me the story about the woman on your street with all the kids. The one responsible for your potty mouth," he looked at her with a smile. She looked confused, but she moved aside some things and sat opposite him. Hands clasped on the table.

"I remember, yeah." She said, staring at the covered item he held in his hands.

"Well, as we stood there, I looked down and saw something," he looked down at the item in his fingers, then back to her. "It was a sign, Scully. I bent down and picked it up, honestly terrified I would miss it and you would see what I was doing. But I was quick and I was able to pick it up and you didn't notice. I slipped it in my pocket and planned to give it to you later. Then we found that arcade and I saw this panda and I thought of another plan." He stopped and held the item in his palm and closed his hand. He leaned forward and stared at her.

She was staring at him intently. She had no recollection of him picking anything but the panda up, let alone hiding it the way he had. Her curiosity was driving her crazy.

"I want you to understand something. Scully. We had just started our new journey together. The sex was amazing, and it still is, but it was still.. new," he smiled and she smiled back, remembering those younger days. The wild times they enjoyed.

"I.. I think I knew I was in love with you, if I'm honest, almost from our first meeting." She scoffed and he continued. "No, I'm serious. I had read your thesis and I was intrigued and aroused by your intellect. Then, there you were, young and so beautiful. But your brain, Scully, that's what I got to know first. It's what I still love most about you. Your intellect is incredibly arousing for me. I **know** you know that about me." He grinned at her and she smiled back. She knew.

"But I felt love for you even more after you had come back from your abduction. Scully, I was a shell of myself when you were gone. When we were separated at work, I was lost. But actually being without you.. I was empty. Your mother saw it. Saw how I behaved. I needed **you**. Not my partner, **you**." He stopped, looking down and taking a breath.

"I should have told you then. I should have told you many times, but I was a coward. I.. what if you left? What if you didn't feel the same? I was used to being unloved and cast aside. But, if it had been by **you** , I wouldn't have survived," he reached across the table and took her hand. She squeezed his hand and wiped her tears with her other hand.

"So I kept my mouth shut. I made jokes and teased you, feeling you out. But once we crossed that line, made that decision, it bubbled to the surface and I had to constantly push it down. What a stupid thing to do. To **not** tell someone you love them," he looked in her eyes. "I love you, Scully. I have for most of my life."

"I love you too, Mulder. And I have for most of mine," she was crying harder now, wiping tears off her face. "So, what do you have in your hand?" She asked taking a deep breath.

He smiled and let go of her hand and began to unwrap the tissue. "I found these on the beach and I wanted to give them to you. I anticipated the cheesy remarks you would give and so I wanted to wait awhile. Let it get a little further. But then other cases got in the way. Then I was gone," he had the tissue open now, but still held them so she could not see it. "The last time I saw this panda was the day we moved my stuff to your place, the day before I left. My heart raced and I grabbed it. I could feel these in there and I almost brought it to you and told you about it. But then William cried and I heard you crying too. I put it back in the closet. It needed to wait. I had to take care of my family."

She put her face in her hands and cried. She remembered that day so vividly. He had come into the room as she was sobbing and held them both. They had all cried together, him murmuring that it would be okay and it was not forever. He needed to keep them safe and by leaving, he was doing what was right for them. He needed them safe, they were his world.

She looked back at him and waited. He had tears in his eyes as he placed his hands in front of her, his fists closed, as if asking her to pick one. She looked down and then back up at him. He turned his hands over and opened them. She looked down again.

In the palm of each hand was a roughly hewn heart shaped rock. One was white and one was black. The white rock was smaller, almost clear. The black one was bigger and darker. She gasped a cry and looked back at him.

"It was a sign," he said quietly. "It was right by my feet. They were touching, as if they had traveled together to that very spot. Their final journey they would take together. Fate had brought them there, I could feel it." She took them from his hands and looked at them.

They were imperfectly perfect hearts. The rough edges bumped across her fingers as she felt them. The smoothness of the faces, from tumbling through the waves. There were small holes in each rock, where other rocks or water had pushed against them. Yet they were still whole. Still intact. The pressure had not pushed through.

"Imagine the journey they took to get to where they were," he continued in the same low tone as he watched her examining the rocks. "The waves crashing and rolling them. The stormy days, the other rocks that rolled with them. The battle they fought to reach the shore. Safe ground where they knew they would finally meet and be able to rest. Maybe they had journeyed alone at times, but they always were searching for the other. Always trying to get back to each other. The light and the dark working together to be together." He felt tears in his eyes again. This day was really intent on kicking his ass.

She took shuddering breaths as she tried to calm down. Mulder was always a good storyteller, but this one was one of the best. The symbolism of two rocks he had found almost twenty years ago was not lost on her. Two hearts, battered and bruised, had made the journey. They may have been separated at times, but they followed their path to find the other.

"Scully," he said quietly again. She looked at him and gave him a watery smile. "The light and the dark. I don't care if you think it's cheesy or corny, but you are the light in my life. You are the goodness and the happiness to my darkness. I don't expect you to be the one to keep my darkness away, that is my job and I will not follow that darkness again. Never again," he took her hand again. "But I want you to know that everything good that has ever happened in my adult life, is because of you. You are the light that stands guard. The darkness may think it has gained a foothold, but your light remains constant. A warning that it can go ahead and try, but the light will win the battle every time." She is crying again as she nods and grips his hand tightly.

"The yin and yang," she sobbed out.

He smiled, remembering the story she told him. God, it had so closely resembled the reason behind what he did, it was spooky. He grinned wider and chuckled. Of course it was spooky, why would he expect anything different?

"I want to put these up in the babies room. The two hearts that found each other to be the first story she hears. The light and darkness working together to balance out the world. To hear that though battered and scarred, these hearts are still beautiful. They may have been knocked down and felt like giving up, but they tried and tried again. Persistence and love brought them together. They will never be apart or hidden away again." She kept her eyes locked on his the whole time she was speaking. He nodded as tears slipped down his cheeks.

"Jesus, Scully," he sobbed and laughed as he pulled his hand away to wipe his face. "As if this day wasn't kicking my ass enough."

She smiled and started to get up, to put the rocks in a safe place.

"Wait," he said, reaching into the tissue again and taking something else out. "I saved this too. I.. here," he said sliding it over to her.

She set the rocks next to her and took what he was offering her. It was an arcade ticket. She picked it up and looked at him.

"Turn it over," he said with a small smile.

She did as told and saw his handwriting. Blocky letters, in black ink "You are my prize." She covered her mouth and tears filled her eyes again.

"This is super cheesy," she said with a smile. "But I love it. I love it so much. And I love you. So much."

He stood up and walked over to her. He helped her up and brought her to the couch. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She wrapped her arms around his neck, put her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes.

They sat there for awhile, feeling the night breeze blow around them. His watched beeped signaling how late it was getting. He suggested they finish with the boxes tomorrow and head to bed. She murmured her agreement.

They put the rocks and ticket in a baggie, closed up the house, and headed upstairs. Mulder set the rocks down on their dresser. They conducted their nighttime rituals then started getting the bed ready. Mulder set one of the decorative pillows on a chair and noticed something sticking out of his jeans pocket. His drawing from Raina. He smiled as he took it out. His potato person. He set the picture on the dresser with the rocks and a thought came into his head.

Scully was already in bed. He slipped off his shirt and his shorts. In his boxers, he got in behind her. He pulled her to him and laid his hand on her belly. She sighed as she laid her hand over his, locking their fingers together.

"I had a thought, Scully," he murmured in her ear. She shivered, and squeezed his hand. "The two hearts had another journey to take, the beach wasn't the last stop," he nuzzled her neck and breathed in her scent. Her soap and **her**.

"What do you mean?" She whispered to him, pulling his hand up further, just under her breasts.

"Hmmm.. the two hearts…they created two hearts," he said as he kissed her ear.

She gasped and pulled him tighter to her.

"We'll put those rocks up in the babies room, Scully. I'll get something to display them. She should know where and how her love roots started. Almost twenty years since that night, Scully. But, love doesn't follow a crazy rule like time. It floats around waiting to be discovered. Tossed upon the waves, biding its time, waiting for the journey to be continue," his voice was a whisper as he held her in his arms. Held them both, safe and sound.

She turned over, slowly, as it was becoming harder to move her growing body. She cuddled into him as close as she could. He put his hand on her hip and pulled her closer, those soft shorts rubbing against his leg. She breathed deep and began drifting off to sleep.

"Thank you, Mulder. Thank you for your heart and the the creation of two more hearts from it," she whispered before she fell asleep.

He kissed her head and stayed awake thinking. She was his prize. Her heart was his trophy. Her love and trust in him. The two children they created were his prize as well. A boy and boy or girl, created in love and with love.

The first time, the love created was tested, scared, pushed to the limits, tainted by horrors of the past. This time though, this time it was strong, unafraid, and not going anywhere. There were no horrors anymore. They could live peacefully. These two hearts could endure anything.

And maybe, just maybe, the one heart still going it alone, still searching for answers, still unsure, will hear the call of the others and find his way back. Follow the waves until they lead him to the shore, safe and sound.


End file.
